It must be said that the girls at Ruan Tang's company had good tempers and were quite open-minded.

After a few rounds of drinks, one of the girls who had had the most to drink actually began joking that Xu Lai was the "boss's wife."

However, Xu Lai was no pushover. When it came to verbal sparring, he had rarely lost in his hundred thousand years. With just a few words, he had the newly married young woman blushing, and she playfully scolded him for being a rogue.

Compared to the cold and authoritative CEO Ruan Tang, Xu Lai seemed to be more popular with the employees and quickly became one of the gang. This left Ruan Tang both amused and annoyed. She shot Xu Lai a glare and said, "Once you're full, go home!"

"Got it."

Xu Lai picked up his daughter, who had already dozed off, and said cheerfully, "Well, the 'boss's wife' will take his leave. Everyone, please drink and eat at your leisure. After all, a generous soul is footing the bill."

"Farewell to the boss's wife!"

Peals of girlish laughter followed him out.

After instructing her secretary to take care of the bill, Ruan Tang also quickly followed. Seeing her daughter asleep on Xu Lai's shoulder, she said indifferently, "If you've taken a fancy to any of the girls from the company, I can help play matchmaker."

"I do have someone I like," Xu Lai said seriously. "That female CEO, Ms. Ruan, is an interesting woman. She's successfully caught my attention. Any chance there?"

"..."

Ruan Tang rolled her eyes and ignored him.

For a time, they walked in silence. Under the dim streetlights, they eventually arrived at the villa community at the foot of Mount Haitang. Various Haitang flowers could be seen here, but most had withered; only a few ever-blooming varieties were still in flower. Ruan Tang stood by the roadside, bending over to smell their fragrance.

The bright moonlight shone on her, making her look as cold and detached as a Fairy from the moon, solitary and independent from the world. For a moment, Xu Lai was completely captivated.

It wasn't that he hadn't seen beautiful women before. But his previous desire to marry Ruan Tang was based solely on her being his daughter's mother—nothing more. Now, looking at Ruan Tang under the moonlight, his heartbeat suddenly quickened.

Damn, Xu Lai thought. This is… the feeling of being smitten!

As if sensing his gaze, Ruan Tang wasn't annoyed. Instead, she tied up her hair and gently took her sleeping daughter from Xu Lai's arms.

Sitting on a bench by the street, she offered a rare smile and murmured, "Xu Lai, did you know that the Ruan Family once had the opportunity to move into this neighborhood?

"Major families and dignitaries from East Sea and Hangcheng own property here. It's a symbol of status and position. When I was a child, my grandmother often brought me here for walks to see our future home."

Xu Lai didn't speak, quietly waiting for her to continue.

"Later on, my grandfather couldn't bring himself to buy it. And then, my grandmother fell ill and passed away. She didn't like people like Ruan Lan or Ruan Jin. She only liked me, only doted on me," Ruan Tang said, seeming to talk to herself. "My grandmother even gave me my name.

"She said the Haitang flower was very proud, and that it suited me.

"Grandmother also said that when people pass away, they become stars in the sky. That's why I love stargazing, because I know she's watching over me from above."

As she spoke, her eyes filled with tears. Suddenly, two strings of pearls trickled down her cheeks, dripping onto the flower petals at her feet.

Xu Lai listened quietly and pulled a pack of tissues from his pocket.

Ruan Tang didn't take them. "I'm not crying. The wind just got in my eyes."

"Right, I know."

Xu Lai took out a tissue and wiped away the tears for her. "Since your grandmother liked this place, let's buy it."

Ruan Tang smiled. "Yes, we will."

She couldn't afford the Tower King at the top of the mountain, but a villa at the foot would cost fifty or sixty million. With a few more years of hard work, she had a chance, especially since the company was doing so well.

"I'm tired. Let's go home," Ruan Tang said.

Xu Lai drove, and after dropping Ruan Tang and Xu Yiyi off at home, his figure vanished from Earth.

At the same time, one Divine Sense was transmitted to the Heavenly Court billions of light-years away, while another was sent to Tan Chang.

In the darkness, Tan Chang opened his eyes and silently departed without a word.

Meanwhile, in the distant Heavenly Court, the First Divine General, Taotie, was handling his affairs when he sharply turned his gaze toward Earth. The Supreme Emperor is going to the forbidden Samsara Sea?!

The Samsara Sea controlled the Six Paths of Reincarnation; it was the beginning and end of life and death. No one could live forever, not even the Great Emperors who dominated the universe and reigned supreme through the ages. A Cultivator below the Emperor Realm would turn to nothingness the instant they stepped into the Samsara Sea, utterly vanishing from existence. Only those at the Emperor Realm could barely withstand the forbidden land's oppressive power.

Therefore, only Great Emperors approaching the end of their lives would choose to enter the Samsara Sea, burning everything they had to reach their peak one last time in an attempt to uncover the secrets of reincarnation. But they all failed in the end—not one could continue their legend. As a result, the Samsara Sea, which entombed the corpses of more than a dozen Great Emperors, became known as the Great Emperor's Tomb. It had become the foremost forbidden land of all time.

The Supreme Emperor is only one hundred thousand years old and has nearly a million years of life remaining. He's so young, so why would he enter the Samsara Sea?

Taotie didn't dare to ask. The task the Supreme Emperor had given him was to find ten unique stars.

「On this day.」

The Supreme Emperor Xu Lai entered the forbidden Samsara Sea alone. No one knew the great price he paid to find that one soul.

「But on that day.」

An astonishing imperial might erupted deep within the universe, causing ancient beings slumbering within numerous Tao Lineages and Holy Lands to open their eyes in shock. They gazed, terrified, toward the Samsara Sea!

That imperial might—it wasn't just one!

...

The next morning, Ruan Tang woke up to find that Xu Lai wasn't home. He hadn't even made breakfast. There was only a note:

"Out on business for a couple of days. Don't miss me."

"Who would miss you!"

Ruan Tang, still in her pajamas, curled her lip. She went to the kitchen, fried two eggs for Yiyi, took a carton of milk from the refrigerator, and called it breakfast.

Over the next few days, Ruan Tang's calls to Xu Lai went unanswered, his number always unreachable. This greatly annoyed her, especially since Yiyi kept crying for her father. Ruan Tang was utterly exhausted every day.

At the same time, for the past few days, reporters had been blocking the company's entrance—not to inquire about the business condition of Ruan Clothing Company, but for gossip. After all, Ruan Tang being driven out of the Ruan Family on her birthday five years ago for having a child out of wedlock had been big news that shook East Sea City. Now that word was out that her daughter and husband had returned, this was the perfect opportunity for an explosive story that could lead to a promotion and a raise.

However, much to the reporters' disappointment, Ruan Tang simply refused all interviews, leaving them blocked at the door. Some paparazzi tried to follow her and take pictures secretly, but they all inexplicably fainted on the spot. They would wake up later in a hospital, their cameras and other equipment destroyed.

Despite this, Ruan Tang's mood soured. Ruan Lan was even more furious. She had told Xu Lai to take her sister away to avoid the limelight, but instead, he had run off by himself. It was utterly outrageous

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